Jökull - 01.12.1988, Qupperneq 49

Explanations (cont.) / Skýringar (frh.):
c C Estimated water consumption 1986 of public waterworks (c) and fish farms (C) 70 - 150 1/s / Aætluð
vatnsnotkun (1986) vatnsveitna (c) og fiskeldisstöðva (C) 70 -150 lls.
d D Estimated water consumption 1986 of public waterworks (d) and fish farms (D) 200 - 700 1/s / Áœtluð
vatnsnotkun (1986) vatnsveitna (d) og fiskeldisstöðva (D) 200 - 700 l/s.
e E Estimated water consumption 1986 of public waterworks (e) and fish farms (E) > 1,000 1/s / Áœtluð
vatnsnotkun (1986) vatnsveitna (e) ogfiskeldisstöðva (E) > 1000 l/s.
consequently no leakage. Additional 10 to 20
1/inh.xday can be approximated for the watering of
animals during the winter. Surface water was com-
mon as a source, as shown by the term "bæjarlækur"
(farm brook), which was considered as belonging
naturally to every farm.
In a survey made in Reykjavík in the year 1903
the water consumption was found to be about 18
1/inh.xday (Kristjánsson, 1952). The water was
taken in buckets, mostly from dug wells, and carried
or driven in carts to the houses. At that time 40
1/inh.xday were considered as quite adequate in
cities abroad.
Growth of villages and towns — In Fig. 8 the
development of present time predominantly urban
society is depicted (Hagstofa íslands, 1984; Fjár-
mála og hagsýsludeild Reykjavíkurborgar, 1987).
The rural society begins to lose ground in the later
half of the last century, but is still prevailing up to
the first two or three decades of this century. As
people move to urban dwellings, there can be seen a
simultaneous development towards a concentration
in the southwestem part of the country, in the capital
Reykjavík and on the Reykjanes Peninsula.
During this time the first water works were built
in Iceland, in 1900 in the fishing village of
Isafjörður in the northwest, in 1903 in Seyðisfjörður
in the east (Björnsson, 1979), in 1904 in Hafnar-
fjörður south of Reykjavík, also a fishing village,
and in 1908/09 in Reykjavík (Kristjánsson, 1952).
At first the water was predominantly for household
use, but soon it was also taken for industrial uses,
such as washing for the production of salted fish.
Higher standard — Economically and socially the
first decades of this century meant a completely new
way of life for thousands of people. One of the
things that changed was the means of getting water,
now it came through a pipe and from the tap - not
from the farm brook. And people needed much more
of the water than before. It was used for WCs, heat-
ing elements, washing, bathing etc., many of which
were new uses. This placed a heavy burden on many
municipalities, because in many places, especially
in the northwest and the east, the search for ade-
quate groundwater met with small success. Some of
the villages had to use surface water, which besides
being of questionable quality often became scarce
during the wintertime. At the same time the water
was considered as having to be inexpensive; every-
body was accustomed to having it free of charge in
the old society.
In 1930 the consumption had risen to about 300
1/inh.xday in Reykjavík, or more than fifteen times
the consumption in 1903 (Kristjánsson, 1952), and
in 1983 the average water consumption in
Reykjavík was nearly 900 1/inh.xday (Vatnsveita
Reykjavíkur, Vatnsbólanefnd, 1983), see Fig. 9.
The fish industries — As in all other food industry
cleanliness and hygienic measures are of prime
importance in the fish industry. And that means
plenty of water. Accordingly, the demand for ample,
good water is of great concem in all fishing villages
and towns. The different methods of handling the
fish are also of importance. Production of salted fish,
as was most common for many decades in the last
and the beginning of the present century, doesn’t
require as much water as the production of frozen
fish. Looking at the increase in production of frozen
fish shown in Fig. 10 (Þjóðhagsstofnun, 1987; Hag-
stofa Islands, 1984), and bearing in mind that qual-
ity demands increased simultaneously, one can see
that the need for groundwater must have increased
JÖKULL, No. 38, 1988 47